The Buffalo Bills had a transitional year at safety in 2024, moving on from longtime stars Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde and turning instead to a new pair of starters.
The Bills could continue to refine the position in the coming year, with one analyst predicting the team will jump up the board in the NFL draft to take one of this year’s most versatile players.
Bills Look to the Future of the Secondary
The Bills are largely set at safety for the coming season, bringing back starter Damar Hamlin on a one-year contract while fellow starter Taylor Rapp is under contract for another two seasons. Cole Bishop is expected to compete for a starting role as well after showing improvement during his rookie season.
But analyst Kyle Stackpole of CBS Sports believes the Bills will add some competition to the mix, trading up in the first round of the NFL draft to land South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori at No. 24 overall.
As Stackpole noted, the Bills have not been shy about moving up in the first round in recent years. General manager Brandon Beane moved up to take cornerback Kaiir Elam and tight end Dalton Kincaid in recent years, finding mixed success with the moves.
“The Bills have traded up in the first round in four of the past six drafts, and they do so again here, adding a Swiss Army knife to their defense in Nick Emmanwori,” Stackpole wrote. “Buffalo gives up No. 30 and No. 109 (Round 4) to move up six spots.”
The Bills do have 10 picks at their disposal in the upcoming draft and no glaring holes to fill, so Beane could have the chance to package some of them in draft trades if they find the right player.
SI.com’s Randy Gurzi endorsed the idea of trading up for Emmanwori, saying the package of picks “would be a small price to pay” for the 6-foot-3, 220-pound safety who showed out at the NFL combine.
“Emmanwori can play in the box and in deep coverage, making him a versatile weapon,” Gurzi wrote. “Safety isn’t the biggest need for Buffalo but adding a difference-maker such as Emmanwori could help them finally get over the hump.”
Bills Have Other Needs in the Secondary
While the Bills are relatively set at safety, the team will likely need to replace starting cornerback Rasul Douglas, who hit free agency at the expiration of his contract. Douglas was a steady presence in the secondary for the Bills, despite some struggles at times in coverage.
If the Bills don’t trade up the board, they could use their first-round pick to address the vacancy. Analyst Pete Prisco of CBS Sports suggested the Bills could land Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston with the No. 30 overall pick
“When I watch Hairston’s tape, he’s a guy that not only can cover in man-to-man situations, but he’s willing to go hit you,” Prisco said in an appearance on One Bills Live. “That’s something that you don’t see a lot and I know the Bills are big on their corners being able to tackle.”
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